Multicompartment cabinet.



G. EUBBINS.

MULTICOMPARTMBNT CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE lo, 1912.

l,035,641, ,Patented Aug. 13, 1912.

2 sann'rs-snnnr 1.

.lj /fl li ifi/'1714 055m [gaining G. ROBBINS.. MULTIQOMPARTMENT CABINE"l APPLICATION 'FILED JUNE 1u. 1912 Patented Aug. 13,'1912.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ROBBINS, E MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

MULTICOMPAR'IMENT CABINET.

To alf/whom t may concern -Be it` known that I, GEORGE Roiiss'a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multicompertains to make and use the partment Cabinets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it apsame.

My present invention relates to so-called multicompartinent cabinets, and is in the nature of an-iinp'rovement on the niulticom` partinent 'cabinet' disclosed and broadly 'claimed in my prior co-pendingapplication 673,440, filed January th, 1912.

vices' hereinafter described and `the claims.

ferent purposes.

Generallystated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of dedetined in to keep in order.

' velop, has been partially its compartment and a record removed therewhen it is very 'cuii'uil-atioiis, under ordinary con vlock mechanism having 511i my prior application, I provide means whereby when one article, such as an enwithdrawn from from, a second article or envelop in another compartment cannot be withdrawn until atter the envelop irst drawn out has been replaced. \Vhile it is highly desirable thatsoiiie mea-iis be provided which will keep the )ei'son using the cabinet.reminded of the has been re factthat aii envelop or article inoved'and which .will thereby prevent aci V ditions, of a ot' records or articles outside nevertheless, there are times desirable that a number of records ror articles from dill'erent compart ments be withdrawn or removed lroin the cabinet.

In my present invention, I provide for both ol these contingencies by the provision, in connection with the several compartments, of a inultieoin'partnientchbinet, of gates or closures for the .several coinpartn'ients and the following peculiai'` action, to-wit; when the gate or closure of one compartment is moved into the prelarge number of the casing,

Specieation of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 13, 1912, Application filed. .Tunel 10, 1912. Serial No. 702,746.

determined intermediate position, it will permit of the removal from that compartment of the record or 'records or other'artiles contained in that compartmennbut it will move a common lock bar or deviceinto 5D aposition to-lock all of the other closures or gates in their normal or closed positions, Hence, if a gate or closure be moved only farenough to permit theremovalof an article from. that compartment, articles' can- 65 not be removed from the other compartments. lVhen, however, it is desired, without returning the first removed recordor Iother articles'into its compartment, to remove a record or article troin another compartaient, the gate Aor closure thus set in its intermediate position can be forced onward to an extreme position in which it Will re-I lease the gates or closure of partinents. :so-called lock vcntlremoval oi articles Vfrom a second compartment after an article. has been removed from one compartment, but makes it neces the other com- .i Hence, it will be seen that the "1.5v device does not positively pre'- v sary to perform an unusual or otherwlse unnecessary action in order to obtain thisV result. Otherwise stated, the lock device is` really a very effective reminder ofthe fact that a record or article has been removed Vlroin one compartment.

The invention, in its 'preferred forni, is

wherein like characters in icate like parts. throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, vieiv in front elevation with some parts sectioned Vand some parts removed, showing a inulticonipartinent labinet embodyingnmy illustrated in the accompiiying drawings i Figure 1 is a 90 invention. some parts being sectioned andy sonic parts vbeing removed, and the doors of the outer casing being opened; Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the cabinet on the line :r2 .r2 on Fig. 1, the doors of the outer casing of the cabinet being shown as closed; l" ig. 23 is a fragmentary view enlarged vertical section taken on the line 1r a'3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 a firaglnentary section taken on the line .r4 .'fr" on Fig. t2; and Fig. 5 is a Vfragmentary view showing certain parts found in the i. arked .'rr ."rf on Fig. l, the said parts being Aren'ioved from the outer casing of the cabinet .Pi-eterabli'. and as shown, thcffcabinet in an vicinity ol the line v'top compartment-5, in the front-1 hingeddoors 2, and a bodily removable inner' casing 3 having a multiplicity of article compartments 4 and a transversely extended which latter, certain elements of thelock `mechanism are mounted.

In each compartment 4.-, there isa so- -called compartment gate or closure that may take various forms, but which., for the purpose of holding in the compartments arti- `c1essuc h as phonograph record disks!` or -envelops containing the same, need only partially close the said compartments. As

shown, these compartment gates 7, at their upper ends, are independently pivoted'on a 't ansverse! rod 8 located just above the up- .lierfront portions of the-'compartments 4 and suitably secured to the sides of theinner casing 3. Each gate 7 is provided with an upwardly extended. short arm or lug 9 and the arms or lugs" 9 of all of the gates 7 .co-

' operate with a common lock device, preferlyin the form of a`-l9ck bar 10 having trunnions 11 at its ends,` journaled in the sides of the said inner casing 3. A spring 12 anchored to the top of the inner casing 3 and engaging the top of. the lock"bar 10- yieldingly 'presses the inner edge of the said lock bar, downward and normally lholds thesegmental edge-10a thereof, against, or

close to the hubs of the several gat-es 7. 'lhe .normal positionsof the gates 7 and of the j common lock bar 10 is shown in Fig. 2, and

in .this position of the parts, it will be noted, that thelugs or arms 9 of the gates 7 stand in' position to swing underl the front edge l10b of the lock-bar 10. v

For each gate 7,1 there is a yielding stop I -adapted to be engaged and forced onward by movement of the cooperating gate bej yond an intermediate. position in which it will release a disk or other article from the corresponding compartment. These yield ing-stops are .preferably in the form of small Stop -bars 13v mounted for vertical -I'novements inthe upper front bar 3a of the inner l casing 3, and yieldingly pressed downward by springs 15 attached to the topof the casing 3 and independently operative vupon the said yielding stops. The stop bars 13 are Ashown as provided with expanded upper ends that engage with stops 16 on lthe front bar'3?L of the inner casing-1.

In the drawings, the cabinet is illustrated as designedY for holding phonograph record ,disks 17 contained-in envelops, or containing -casings 18, a multiplicity of each of which is, as shown, adapted to be contained `in' each article compartment 4 The front edges of the envelops 18 are open so that the disks may be inserted therein or removed Y' ytherefrom without requiring the envelops to` be completely withdrawn from the cabinet.

:,LThe upperv rear portions of the envelops jiortion of 18 are notched or cut downto. form stop: projections 19 .on the upper rear corners of the said envelop-s.' Alsofthe lower edges 'of fthe envelops are preferably provided with ratchet-like notches-20 and 21. The notches 21 stand in 4positiony 'to be tilted in or closedf/` by the disks- 17 when the latter are placedv in the envelops; andthe notches 2() 'stand just in front of the notches occupiedV by they xdisks when positioned :in the said. envelops.

disks 18 are engaged by the front .edge of a common spring pressed latchbar 22 havingy journaled at its ends trunnions l23 -that, are in the sides of the inner casing 3;

shas already beenjdescribed, normally,

all of the gates 7 are yreleased sothat' any one thereof maybe freely moved fro its Normally, the front notches 20 of yallot the "-75;

closed or normal position indicated by"full.

'lines in Fig. 2 and by'light dotted lines in Fig.'3, into an approximately' horizontal in 'ter-mediate posit-ion indicated by the heavy otted lines in Fig.4 3. It may be here stated, also, thatany number, two or more, or all of the gates 71may, if simultaneouslyl v moved, be moved from, their normal into` mentv with or behind the lugs 9 ofall'of v those gates thatA havel beengleft in their .normal 'positions Hence,when one or 'more of the gates 7 stands in an intermediate f position just stated, all'other ofthe gates 7 will be located intheir normall or closed positions.` lf, however, the saidlever 7 in-l stead of being returned to its normal posi-V tion, 4be moved on or, upward to .itseXtreme .positi n, indicated by full lines' in Fig.- 3, it wil then be noted that the lug 9 ot such extremely moved gate passes beyond f or backward of the inner edgelOaot the .lock bar 10'and permits the lock bar to again assume its normal positionindicated byfull lines in Fig.y 3, and in each position., its

lfront edge 10b is raised. 'above and out of Vthe path of movementof the lugs 9 of those gates that have been leftin their normaler downturned closed posit-ions. In this way,

its

therefore, all of l'he gates standing in normal position may be released by an cXtreme L.

upward movement.- by any4 one, or more, of the said gates 7. When the v.extremely opened gate 7 is forced downward or bakv to its normal position, its lug 9 has a sort ot a camming action on the inner edge l0a l 4 I i I of the common lock bar lO which oscillates said lock bar andraises the rear edge of the vsame soV as to permit the said lugl) to pass back into itslnorinal position. l

' lVhen one of the envelops 18 is drawn loutward fai' enough to engage. its rear ,pl'ateQZCW'lll hold the said envelop againsty vtiling phonographic records.

'hubi of the gate or closure notch 21 with the latch bar Q2, the stop lug 419 on-the upper rear edge thereof, will be engaged with a pivoted stop bar Q4, and its further outward movement will thus be intercepted. The said sgip bai' 24 extends above and is common to all of the envelops of the several compartments, and atitsends it has trunnions journaled in tlie'sides' of the inner casing 3. If, when the envelop ,is

vthus thrown forward or partly outward, the

disk 17 be removed therefrom, the latch returmmovement until ythe disk is again placed therein The replacing ofthe disk withinl the envelop pressesv the .latch plate 22 out of. operative. engagement with the notch 21 and thus permits the envelop with its ydisk to be returned to'normal position.

'Vhen the latch plate "Q2 moves upward into an engagement Wit-litho notch ll of an outwardly drawn envelop, it moves into the envelops which This 'statement '20. If at any time it should be desirable to remove an envelop or envelops from the cabinet, the stop ,bar24 must be turned upward, so that it will clear the stop lugs 19 ofthe said envelops.

As already indicated, adapted for many -other this cabinet is uses than` that of n tli'e filing of letters and -various other loose sheets, itl is desirable to maintain an open space where a letter or loose sheet has been removed, and for suchpiirpose, I provide the 7 with a projecting divider arm Q5, the main body of which is of considerable width, but the outer surface of the edge '25 of which, is preferably inatle quite sharp. lVith this arrangement, when the gate is thrown into either of the positions shown by dotted lines and ,heavy full lines in Fig. 3, the arms 25 will enter between the loose vsheets' oi' letters, or, loose leaves and maintain the spacing or separation into which the said removed part may be very conveniently returned always to the proper place. q

In Fig. Q, by dotted lines, the envelop 18 is shown as drawn out. .from the cabinet as far aspermitted by the stop 2i, and far enough to permit the di sk 17 to be easily removed therefrom. In this position of the envelop, the corresponding gate 7 must, of course, be in its approximately horif/.ontal or intermediate position, and the said gate will be held in this position when the envelon is thus partly drawn out. VFurther- '25 of the gates 7 will not more, the envelop cannot be pushed backward into the cabinet while the disk is removed therefrom.- Hence, it follows that, if it is desired to remove disks from several of they enniparti'nents of the cabinet at the same time, such operation must be 'accomplislied by forcing the opened gate onward or upward from its intermediate position, and not by a return mont. The manner in which the said 'on ward movement ofthe gate from its intermediate position accomplishes the release of gates controlling'other compartments has already been fullyiexplained. When' the above described devicev is used in connec.4

tion with envelops of the character shown or backward movein the drawings, the .so-called divider arms be employed.

In the specification andin the claims, the l term gate is herein used' in a very broad 1 sense to include a device which will cut ott access to a compartment or whichl will hold an article .within ythe cabinet. The term envelop is also used lin a broad sense to include any kind of a device for holding any kind ofv an article.

It is important to note' that the so-calledV inner casing and all of the mechanism ,of

the multi-comp`artment cabinet are remov# able as an entirety from the outer casing.

', his is important because it permits the in- -V ner easing and the mechanism of the device to be made complete and, thereafter', to be ln'- serted into any suitable 'form of outer casing; such` for instance, as the variousforms of cabinets or cases found in the market.

lVhat I claim is l. A mniti-compartment cabinet having' a plurality of gates and mechanism operative when a gate is moved to an intermediate -position to lock otherv gates in normal positions, but operative on `either side of said 'intermediate position to release the several gates. y l

The combination with a innlti-compartiiient cabinetand a plurality of envelops movable therein, of a plurality of' envelop retainers therefor, and lock 'mechanisin cooperating with said retainers to selcurc other envelops innormal ypositions within said cabinet, but operative in either of two extreme positions of said retainer to release other envelops.-

3. The combination with a multi-compartment cabinet and av lurality .off envelops therein, of a plurality of gates, and

a lock bar. common to said gates, saidv gates and lock bar having cooperating means oplerative when one of the gates is moved into an intermediate position to lock the other gates in their closed positions, but operative in either of two extreme positions of any gate, to release all of the other gates.

` Ll. A vmulti-compartment cabinet having a plurality of gates and Imechanism operattive whenv a gate-is inovedtdan inter mediate positionto lock `etlfier gates in nor-j mal'positioi-ns, but-'operative oneithen side of saidinterinediate pos'itionto release the 1several'.gates; 'and' ay stop deviceoperative to prevent Ithe envelo s lfrom;- being oompletely .Withdrawn'frofiri the compartments. 5. A innlti-compartinent cabinet having a plurality of gates vand mechanism operal' tive, when' agate is moved to an interme-- Withdrawn from the compartments, and 'a latch operativeonjhe envelops to prevent the same fromfbeing returned empty to normal positions, which latch is thrown out of actionby the article placed in said envelop.

6. The combination with` a multi-compartment cabinet and a plurality of envelops movable therein, of a plurality'oi:I gates, and an oscillatory lock bar common to all of the gates andl havingfinner and `outer bearing edges, and the said gates'having projecting lugs coperating withI the inner and outer edges of said common harv vand operative, When-a gate is moved into an intermediate positiod to cause 'said lock bar `to lock the other gates in closed positions, 'but-operating both in eXtreme open and in vclosed positions `oit `the gates, to release the i other gates.

plurality'fof gates' and mechanism operative When agate ismoved to an intermediate,`

position to lock other gates in normal positions but operative on either sideV of said intermediate position to release the several gates, and yielding stops against Which said gates mustbe moved Whenforced to extreme open positions. 1

8. The combination with a multi-comf 'partment cabinetand a plurality of envelope movable therein, ot'a plurality of gates, van oscillatory lock'bar commonto all of the gates and having inner and outer hearing edges, the said gateshaving projecting lugs cooperating with the inner and outer edges of said commonbar and pera'tive. when a gate is moved into anl intermediatev position to `cause said lock bar to lock the othergates in closed positions, but

operating both'. in extreme open and in closed positions of the gates -to'release -the ot-her gates, and' yielding stops against which said gates inustbe moved when forced `to extreme open positions.

9. The vcombination with a multi-conipartment cabinet, of a plurality of gates coy 'operating therewith, said gates having projectingl arms,` which, "when the gates -are opened, are thrown into the cabinet in posi- .diate position to lock@ other gates vin positions, `but yoperative on eithersiteb 7. A multi-compartment cabinet having a'` l ycinnbination with a plurality of gates thereyintermediate position, but operating'in eX- ration o thefarticles 'at t e op n gate.

y 10. A multi-vcbmpartment. cabinet' having a plurality of gates 'and mechanism epera;

tive when the :gate V.is rmoved "to an intenti@ noma said intermediate position to 'release the sev eral' gates, said 'gates having projecting l arms, Which, when' the gates are opened, are

thrown into the cabinet in 4'positionftoengage between the articles therein4 contained and to thereby maintain -a separation of 'the `articles at the' open gate. 11. The combination Wit-h` a multi-ooinf partment 'cabinetand a plurality 'of en-' velops movable therein, ofa 'plurality7` f I gates, an oscillatory lock bar common to all of the gates and having inner and outer bearing edges, the said gates having' p rojecting lugs coperating with the innerand o uter edges of-said cominon bar and .opere ative When a gateismovedl into an intrmediate position to cause saidlock' bar toy lock the other gates'in closed' psitriio'ns by" operatingl both in eXtreme 'open vand in closed' positions ofthe gates to release the othergates, said gates having projecting arms, which, yvhen the 'gates' are opened, are

`thrown into ythe cabinet in'position to engage between the articles 'therein contained and to therebymaintain a. separationfof the articles at theopen gate.

12. In a multi-compartment cabinet,- the in, of amovable lock bar common to all of 4said (rates said rates havin@ ro'ections enb 3 h D bar is operative to yieldingly holdtthe said gates iny opened positions.

13. The combination With a' niu'lticom `partment. cabinet and, a plurality 'of en- .velops movable therein, of a plurality of envelop retainers therefor, and lock niech-- anism cooperating with said retainers to secure other 'envelops in normal positions within saidcabinet when a retainer is an position.:

14. The combination with -a multi-compartment cabinet, and a plurality of envelops movable therein, of ay plurality of gates, and a lock mechanism common to said gates, said gates 'and lock mechanism having iio coperating means operative when one of tion, but permit the seme to,be moved oniihe-gates is mo'fed into an intermediate po- Ward to its other extreme position. 10 sition to lock the other gates in closed po- In testimony whereof I aix my signasitions, but operative in either pf two exture in presence of two witnesses.

5 treme positions of said gate, to release the GEORGE ROBBINS.

other ates, and" which envelops when Witnesses: i

moved romnormal positions prevent opened l HARRY D. K'iLGomi, lgate from being returned to a Closed posi- F. D.'M n1:oHANT. 

